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March 6, 2001

O'Reilly Releases Completely New Programming Python for Python 2.0

Sebastopol, CA--As Python has grown to embrace developers on a number
of different platforms (Unix, Linux, Windows, Mac) companies have taken
notice and are adopting Python for their products. It has shown up
animating major motion pictures, serving up maps and directories on the
Internet, guiding users through Linux installations, testing chips and
boards, managing Internet discussion forums, scripting online games,
and even scripting wireless products.

"Python is usually on the forefront of most high-tech developments,"
says Mark Lutz, author of the just-released second edition of
Programming Python
(O'Reilly US $54.95) "For instance, as an object
oriented language, it blends extremely well with the XML view of the
world, and there is a Python port to the new C#/.NET system in the
works. Because Python is a general purpose language now used by so many
people, it tends to keep pace with the bleeding edge at large."

Programming Python, describes the advanced uses of the Python
programming language. Among other things, Python supports
object-oriented programming; a remarkably simple, readable, and
maintainable syntax; integration with C components, and a vast
collection of precoded interfaces and utilities. "It's really something
of a completely new book that reuses the title of the original/first
edition," says Lutz, "This is a radical rewrite from the ground up, to
capture the modern Python community and advanced applications, not just
an update for Python 2.0."

"I see no end to the radical growth in Python use for any of the
foreseeable future," he explains. "I'm seeing companies all over the
world beginning to apply Python in exciting ways we never imagined back
in '95 when the first edition was written. Perhaps more telling, I also
now regularly see students in my Python classes who are there not
because they went out and found Python on the Net, but because they are
now compelled to use Python in their jobs. That's a fairly radical
shift, and represents the critical mass that Python seems to have
picked up in the world of real development work. Of course, it's not
too bad to be forced to use a programming language optimized to make
development faster and more enjoyable; but Python is clearly no longer
just for the pioneers."

This second edition of the best-selling Python book to date is the most
comprehensive resource available today for serious Python programmers.
Endorsed by Python creator Guido van Rossum, who also wrote the
foreword,
Programming
Python, 2nd Edition, focuses on real-world Python applications.

"As a language optimized for developer productivity, Python seems to be
right on target to address the developer manpower shortage out there,"
says Lutz. "For people charged with selecting development tools, it's
fairly compelling to realize that you can get the same amount of work
done in a fraction of the time with Python. Perhaps just as important,
the work you do in Python turns out to be almost automatically
maintainable and reusable over the lifespan of a software system. Both
of these assets promise to keep pushing Python into the development
limelight."

Programming Python, 2nd Edition covers Python 2.0, the first new
major release of Python in five years. It also covers new Python tools
and applications, including Jython, a version of Python that compiles
as Java byte code; Active Scripting and COM extensions; Zope, an open
source web application system; the HTMLgen and SWIG code generators;
thread support; and the CGI and Internet protocol modules. A wealth of
example code is also provided. It includes a platform-neutral CD-ROM
filled with the examples from the book and Python-related packages,
including the full Python 2.0 source code distribution, the Zope web
application framework, the SWIG and HTMLgen code generators, and the
PMW megawidgets library.

What Critics Said About the First Edition:

"The best reference on the Python language."
--Suzanne A. Smith, San Diego Union-Tribune, June 8, 1999

"Practical and full of examples you'll use ..."
--Freelance Informer, April 30, 1999

"I hope that Programming Python will help win Python many new
converts. Like most O'Reilly & Associates books, it is well written,
superbly edited, and informative. Lutz introduces the Python language and its
major libraries (of which there are many), and shows how to embed
Python in C and vice versa. There are many example programs, all
clearly explained, and a CD-ROM with the whole Python release for
Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX."
--Dr. Dobbs, November 1997

"For anyone interested in the Python language this book is the best
thing around. It may not be the best tutorial from which to learn the
language, but any serious programmer will find the book invaluable.
Although Programming Python is an excellent book supporting an
excellent language, that language may be regulated to a niche player.
But if you want an alternative to Java, Python is a good choice, and
this book is the perfect starting point"
--Terry Rooker, ;login:, April 1998

About O'Reilly

O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.